Dwellings are always being weathered by the sun, rain, snow and wind. New paint fades and cracks, over the years, and door hinges get squeaky. The inside of a dwelling is not safe from wear and tear, either. The people inside will bump into walls and doors at night, spill red wine on the carpet, and have kids that throw toys around.

With only one or two properties in the same town, and a couple of spare days here and there, some landlords find it easier to perform the occasional light maintenance, themselves. This type of work typically includes painting, moving or replacing furniture, laying stepping-stones, rolling out sod, dry wall, or the occasional broken sprinkler. Even without experience, all of this and more can be learned in classes at home improvement centers, like the Home Depot, which is why it is appealing to new landlords who do not own many properties.

Although it may make sense early on, at a certain point of property ownership, either maintenance and management becomes a full time job, or a property management company is hired. Most property owners will hire a management company, once the workload is overwhelming, and this is usually a wise decision.